Reference guide
Hummel Figurines Value: TMK Marks and Dating
Hummel figurines value is set by three things read together: the trademark stamped on the base, which brackets when the piece was made; the mould number and size designator, which say exactly which model and which size you are holding; and condition. The trademark on its own narrows the era but never fixes a price.
The honest headline is that most Hummel figurines in circulation today are common models from the heavily produced later trademark eras, and they sell for a fraction of what their owners remember paying. The money in the category sits in early trademarks, discontinued models, large sizes, and documented variants, which is why identifying a cabinet piece by piece is worth the hour it takes.
Visual reference
Mark shapes to compare first
These original code-drawn symbols help describe a mark shape. They do not authenticate a maker, workshop, date, or metal standard.
TMK trademark eras: the eight Goebel marks and what each one means
This is the core dating table for the category. Find the printed or stamped factory mark on the base, match it here, and you have a bracket for when the piece was made. Read the whole base afterwards, because the mark alone does not identify the model.
| TMK | Mark description | Approximate period | What it means for value |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMK-1 (Crown Mark) | A crown above the intertwined initials WG, for William Goebel. Found incised into the clay, stamped in ink, or both on the same piece. | c.1935-1949 | The earliest era and generally the one collectors pursue hardest. Scarcity is real here, but condition and which model it is still matter as much as the mark. |
| TMK-2 (Full Bee) | A complete bumblebee, wings and body shown, sitting inside a large V. Hummel is the German word for bumblebee, which is the joke in the device. | c.1950-1959 | Early post-war production and the strongest of the bee marks for most collectors. Numerous size and decoration variants are recorded from this era. |
| TMK-3 (Stylized Bee) | A smaller, simplified bee reduced to a geometric form, still within the V. | c.1960-1972 | Still treated as early by most guides, but produced in far greater quantity than TMK-1 or TMK-2. A useful premium over later marks on the same model. |
| TMK-4 (Three Line Mark) | The bee in V set beside three lines of small text naming Goebel and referencing West Germany. | c.1972-1979 | The start of the mass-market period. Common models from this era carry little premium over the marks that follow. |
| TMK-5 (Last Bee / Vee Bee) | The final version of the bee-in-V device before the bee was dropped. | c.1979-1991 | Peak collector-boom output. Survival rates are very high and present-day supply is heavy, which holds prices down on ordinary models. |
| TMK-6 (Missing Bee) | The bee removed altogether, leaving the Goebel name with a V device. | c.1991-1999 | Post-boom production. Most pieces trade at a fraction of their original retail price unless the model itself is scarce. |
| TMK-7 (Hummel Mark) | A bee placed above the Goebel name, with M.I. Hummel wording in the mark. | c.1999-2008 | Late Goebel production, much of it sold directly into an already shrinking collector market. Recent age works against it. |
| TMK-8 (later Rödental era) | Later marks used after M.I. Hummel production passed from Goebel to Manufaktur Rödental. Several variants exist. | c.2000s onward |
Published trademark charts disagree at the boundaries by a year or more in both directions. Marks overlapped inside the factory while existing stock was decorated and shipped, so transitional pieces carrying features of two eras are normal rather than suspicious. Treat every date above as an approximate bracket, never as a cut-off.
What actually drives the value of a Hummel figurine
Record all of these before you look at any price. Owners tend to fix on the trademark alone, which is the one factor that most often fails to explain a realised sale.
| Factor | What to record | Direction of effect |
|---|---|---|
| Mould number (HUM number) | The incised number on the base, copied exactly, including any decimal point or letter suffix | This identifies the model. Some models were made for a handful of years and others for decades, and that difference alone separates scarce from ordinary. |
| Size designator | Marks such as /0, /I, /II, or a plain number alongside the mould number | Larger and discontinued sizes are generally scarcer than the standard size. Two examples of the same model in different sizes can sit in different price tiers. |
| Trademark era | Which of TMK-1 to TMK-8 appears on the base | Earlier generally means scarcer, but era never sets a price by itself. A common model in an early mark still competes with many other examples. |
| Documented variants | Recorded colour differences, early decoration variants, unusual details, trial or sample pieces | This is where the genuinely high prices in the category are found, and these are exactly the pieces that require specialist authentication before any figure is attached. |
| Condition | Chips, hairline cracks, restoration, firing flaws, crazing, and paint loss or fading | Damage is punished heavily. Restoration must be disclosed and reduces value even when it is skilfully done and hard to see. |
| Original box and paperwork | Original carton, sleeve, certificate, and any collector club documentation | A modest but real premium on later pieces, where boxed examples are the market norm. Less decisive on early figures, which rarely survive boxed. |
| Authenticity of the line itself | Without that signature the piece is not an M.I. Hummel figurine, whatever the bee mark suggests. Goebel used the same factory marks across its other lines. |
Painter and decorator marks, impressed numbers, and small incised symbols also appear on many bases. Photograph everything and resolve it later rather than deciding on site which marks matter.
Why most Hummels are worth less than their owners expect
This table exists because the gap between remembered value and realised value is the single largest source of disappointment in this category. None of it means a collection is worthless, but it does mean the arithmetic has to start from sold prices.
| Market reality | What happened | What it means for a seller |
|---|---|---|
| Enormous production volume | The most popular models were produced continuously for decades, straight through the collecting boom of the 1970s to the 1990s | Common models are supplied in quantity at any given moment, so a buyer is never short of alternatives to yours. |
| Bought to be kept, not used | Figurines were displayed in cabinets rather than handled, so an unusually high proportion survive clean and undamaged | Mint condition is the baseline expectation here rather than a premium feature. Damage subtracts, but perfection does not add. |
| A generational shift in demand | The core collecting generation is downsizing, so estates release pieces faster than new collectors absorb them | Supply exceeds demand for common models, which pushes realised prices well below remembered shop prices. |
| Original retail is not a benchmark | Figurines were sold through gift shops at full retail with a normal retail margin built in | There was no wholesale discount to recover on resale, so the issue price was never a floor. |
| Guide and insurance figures are not selling figures | Published guide values often reflect replacement cost or asking prices rather than completed sales | |
| The exceptions are narrow but real | Early trademarks, discontinued models, large size designators, and documented variants | These do sell strongly, which is precisely why a cabinet should be identified piece by piece before it is sold as a single lot. |
How to identify it, step by step
- 1
Photograph the entire base before you interpret anything
Turn the figurine over and take a straight-on macro of the whole underside under raking light. You want the signature, the mould number, the size designator, the factory mark, the copyright line, and any small painter marks in one readable image.
- 2
Confirm it is an M.I. Hummel at all
Look for the incised or printed M.I. Hummel signature, usually on the base or along a back edge. A bee mark alone does not make a piece a Hummel, because Goebel used its factory marks across unrelated lines as well.
- 3
Read the trademark and treat it as a bracket
Match the mark against the TMK table above to get an approximate period. Do not convert that bracket into a single year, and expect transitional marks that sit awkwardly between two eras.
- 4
Record the mould number and size designator exactly
Copy the number character for character, including decimals and letter suffixes. This is what lets you distinguish a long-running model from one produced for only a few years, which is the difference that moves price.
- 5
Assess condition harder than feels necessary
Check fingers, hat brims, tool handles, animal ears, and base rims under strong light. Run a fingernail along suspicious lines and look for colour or gloss differences that indicate restoration.
- 6
Price only against completed sales
Compare like for like: same mould number, same size designator, same trademark era, same condition. Asking prices, insurance valuations, and older printed guides all sit above the level at which pieces actually change hands.
Mistakes that cost money
- Reading the © date on the base as the year of manufacture. It records when the mould design was copyrighted, and it appears unchanged on pieces made decades later.
- Assuming a bee mark makes a piece a Hummel. Goebel applied its factory marks across other lines, so the incised M.I. Hummel signature is the actual test.
- Treating trademark charts as exact cut-offs. The boundaries overlap and published guides disagree with one another at every transition.
- Pricing from asking prices, old printed guides, or insurance valuations instead of completed sales.
- Scrubbing a figurine or touching up a chip before photographing it, which can blur a shallow stamp and turns a disclosed flaw into an undisclosed restoration.
What this is generally worth
Hummel figurines split into a very large common tier and a narrow scarce tier, with almost nothing in between. These are general secondary-market directions, not appraisals, and no band here should be read as a price.
Common models in later trademarks (TMK-5 to TMK-8)
Low, and frequently sold in mixed lots rather than singly
The bulk of what comes out of estates. Heavy supply, high survival rates, and a shrinking buyer pool all press on this tier.
Common models in earlier trademarks (TMK-1 to TMK-3)
Modest, with a clear premium over later examples of the same model
Age helps, but a common model stays a common model. The premium is a multiple of a small number.
Discontinued models, large sizes, and scarce early forms
A substantial multiple of the common tier
Short production runs and large size designators are what create genuine scarcity. Correct identification is the whole task here.
Documented variants, samples, and rare colourways
Set at auction, not by any table
These need specialist authentication before a figure is attached, because the same features that create value also attract misattribution.
Damaged or restored pieces of any era
Sharply reduced regardless of trademark
Chips, hairlines, and repairs cut deeply in a category where undamaged examples are plentiful.
Condition and rarity decide it. Trademark era, mould number, size designator, damage, completeness, and current collector demand together determine what any individual figurine is worth, and only completed comparable sales give a usable figure. Nothing on this page is an appraisal. For anything you plan to insure, sell, or divide, use a qualified appraiser or auction specialist.
Frequently asked questions
Are Hummel figurines worth anything?
Yes, but most are worth modest amounts. Common models from the later trademark eras are supplied in quantity and sell for a small fraction of their original retail price. Early trademarks, discontinued models, large size designators, and documented variants are the exceptions, and they can sell well.
How do I tell how old my Hummel figurine is?
Match the factory mark on the base against the TMK table above, which gives an approximate period from TMK-1 at around 1935 through TMK-8 in the 2000s. Ignore the copyright date beside it, because that records when the mould design was registered rather than when the piece was made.
Which Hummel figurines are the most valuable?
Broadly, models produced for only a short time, figures in large or discontinued size designators, early Crown and Full Bee trademark examples, and documented variants such as unusual colourways or factory samples. Any specific claim of rarity should be checked against a dedicated model checklist before it is relied on.
What does the number on the bottom of a Hummel mean?
The main incised number is the mould number, which identifies the model in Goebel's own catalogue. A suffix such as /0, /I, or /II is the size designator. Neither is a date. Copy both exactly, because they are what let you compare your piece to the right sold examples.
Why are Hummel figurines worth less than they used to be?
Because supply and demand moved in opposite directions. They were produced in very large numbers through the collecting boom, they were stored carefully so almost all survive in good condition, and the generation that collected them is now downsizing. Estates release more pieces than new collectors absorb.
Where can I sell this?
Compare the likely value, packing risk, time available, and certainty of attribution before choosing a channel. Auction houses commonly suit specialist or higher-value objects; dealers offer speed but need a resale margin; marketplaces provide control but require photography, buyer communication, packing, and returns management. Use the AntiqScope selling-channel guide to compare the trade-offs before accepting an offer. Compare selling channels.
Before pricing or selling
Condition assessment
Inspect fingers, hats, tools, animal ears, and base rims for chips.
Use strong light to find hairlines through the body and base.
Compare paint gloss and colour for restoration or touch-up.
Check crazing, fading, and staining across the whole figure.
Keep the original box and paperwork with the correct mould number.
Photograph the complete base before cleaning it.
Editorial record
Published and reviewed
Published · Updated
Written by AntiqScope Editorial Desk · Edited by AntiqScope Research Review Desk
Photo-first research
Capture the mould number and TMK
Photograph the entire base in one frame, including the signature, mould number, size suffix, and trademark.
First 3 scans are free. Not a formal appraisal.
Continue in this reference
Related lookups
- Hummel Plates and Bells: Value and Backstamps Hummel Figurines
- Goebel Figurines: Marks by Era and Lines Goebel Figurines
- Porcelain Marks Identification Guide by Region Porcelain Marks
- Pottery Marks Identification: Types and Dating Pottery Marks
Browse the matching categories
Related reading